


Better With You

by Ghoulsters



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Cuddling, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Shyan Secret Santa 2k19, Snowball Fight, also ryan is afraid of bears, and cuteness ensues, shyan, they're staying over at Shane's family's house
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:59:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21962431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghoulsters/pseuds/Ghoulsters
Summary: Christmas at the Madej house is always a fun time, but this year Ryan has something special planned.
Relationships: Ryan Bergara & Shane Madej, Ryan Bergara/Shane Madej
Comments: 3
Kudos: 97





	Better With You

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy reading :)  
This was a gift in the Shyan Secret Santa 2019, for the tumblr user enderman-coffee.  
Thank you to the lovely general-sleepy (also from tumblr) for betaing.
> 
> All respect to the boys and their significant others. This is written just for fun.

Shane watched Ryan spin around, dramatically showing off his new sweater.

“This is probably the best gift you’ve ever gotten me,” Ryan said cheerily. 

Shane scoffed and took a sip of his hot chocolate, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “What about the _ signed _ Lakers basketball I just got you?”

“Well that’s pretty great too, but this is in the top ten of gifts for sure.”

Ryan turned back to Shane, a goofy smile on his face. The front of the sweater said “_ I got the Christmas spirit! _” with a ghost holding a wreath. It had taken Shane months to learn how to sew then perfect it just for Ryan. He was glad he enjoyed it so much. Ryan plopped down next to Shane on the couch, tilting his head onto his shoulder. He made his sleeves into mittens and wrapped them around Shane’s waist. Shane ran a hand through his curls, and Ryan gazed up at him with fondness in his eyes.

“I’ll get your gift to you tomorrow; it’s not quite ready yet. But it’s great, I promise,” Ryan said quietly into Shane’s shoulder.

“Anything you get me is great. If I’m being honest, just having you here is a gift in itself.” Shane swept the hair out of Ryan’s eyes. Ryan pushed him lightly, grinning.

“That’s super cheesy.”

“It’s true though.”

Ryan giggled, and Shane pulled him closer to his side, kissing his forehead. The fireplace they had lit earlier flickered light around the room, illuminating the side of Ryan’s face. His eyes sparkled playfully as he pulled Shane into a kiss. Shane made a little hum in his throat, cupping the side of Ryan’s chin. He moved his head to deepen the kiss, wrapping his hands around Ryan’s waist. They were interrupted when Shane felt two paws start crawling onto his head. Ryan laughed against his lips, breaking apart from his face. Obi stood on top of Shane’s head triumphantly, like he’d just climbed a mountain, which in a way, he had. Shane sighed sarcastically and lifted Obi down into his lap, stroking behind his ears.

“Hey there little dude,” Ryan whispered, stroking Obi’s tail. Obi meowed back in response. The quiet surrounded them like a blanket, broken only by the crackling of the fire and the soft purr of Obi. Shane gazed at Ryan, wondering how he ended up with such a wonderful person. After Obi got up to leave, Shane pulled Ryan to his chest, setting his head on top of Ryan’s.

“Y’know, your hot chocolate’s probably getting cold,” Shane teased, leaning back to look at Ryan. Ryan wheezed, leaning his head against Shane’s chest. His laugh was infectious, and pretty soon Shane was laughing too. He offered his hand, and Ryan took it, pulling both of them up. Ryan let out a humongous yawn, leaning back slightly with the force of it.

“Looks like someone’s tired.”

“Well with all this hot chocolate I better be. That stuff puts me to sleep.”

“Don’t worry.” Shane tilted his head, smiling softly. “I’m tired too. Wanna go to bed?”

Ryan nodded slowly, looking drowsy. They intertwined their hands, walking together to the bedroom. They quickly slipped out of their clothes into boxers and t-shirts, then pulled the covers back to slide into bed. Before Shane clicked off the lamp, he gazed over at Ryan who had the blankets pulled up to his nose, eyes already shut. He kissed the spot between his eyebrows and clicked off the light. As he settled down to sleep, he felt Ryan shift over to lay his head on his chest. He could only guess he was listening to his heartbeat, as he often did after their investigations when he was shaken up. It was some sort of calming measure, he figured. He was fine with it though, as he got to hold Ryan closer to him and make sure he was safe and secure. And that was all he really wanted out of anything in the world. 

“Love you,” Ryan whispered right before Shane fell asleep completely.

A beat.

“I love you too,” He whispered back, even quieter.

*

When Shane woke up that morning, the smell of coffee hit his nose along with the sound of laughter floating in from the kitchen. As he sat up and then put his glasses on, he gazed out the window. The snow had amounted overnight, leaving a wide untouched field of white. He missed this kind of weather when he was in California.

Walking into the kitchen, Shane spotted Ryan sitting at the counter, Shane's mom cooking up something in front of him. Ryan still looked half asleep but his smile was still bright as fried eggs got slid into his plate. His hair was that kind of messy curly that Shane always loved waking up to along with his low voice wishing him good morning. Shane sauntered over, giving Ryan a quick peck on the cheek as he sat down. Ryan gazed fondly at him, cupping his mug of coffee.

"You look like you just walked out of a bear fight," Ryan teased, sipping his coffee and raising his eyebrows.

"Probably after you'd run away and leave me for dead," Shane said pointedly. Ryan rolled his eyes.

"The bear is one of the most dangerous animals in the world. I'd say I'm more afraid of it than ghosts. Like, if a bear showed up at one of our shoots I'd probably piss myself."

Shane laughed, accepting a cup of coffee.

"What about you, still have that weird fear of cocaine or something like that?" Ryan asked.

"Ugh, it was not a fear of cocaine. It's the fear of someone injecting it in me without my consent, and then I get addicted and become a crackhead for the rest of my life."

"That's a million times more irrational than the fear of bears."

"Still doesn't mean it can't happen."

The two of them sat looking at each other before bursting into laughter. As the laughs died it gave way to a pleasant silence that found its way to all the little corners of Shane's family's home. Ryan leaned into his shoulder as they ate, stealing a piece of Shane’s bacon with his fork.

“Hey!” Shane said through a mouthful. He speared a few of Ryan’s hashbrowns, eating it before Ryan could grab his hand.

“I guess that’s a fair trade,” Ryan scoffed, gazing at Shane from the corner of his eye.

“Are we going outside today, Mr. California Weather?” Shane asked, poking Ryan’s arm lightly.

“I’m not that fragile,” Ryan muttered, looking away.

“Oh, you are so that fragile. You thought you could make it with only a _ hoodie!” _Shane laughed, watching Ryan grimace at the memory.

“Well, the forecast said it was going to be warmer that day, what was I supposed to do? Anyways, I think I can brave the cold long enough to enjoy the snow with you.” Ryan smiled, a dazzling sight. His smiles were always filled with sunshine and warmth and Shane always melted a little when his boyfriend grinned at him in that way. It made your day better instantly.

Shane leaned over to pick up their plates, his eyes widening when he felt a quick kiss pressed to his temple. Shane helped his mom with the dishes, tossing the towel over his shoulder. Once they were finished, he and Ryan headed out with layers of coats and scarves and hats. Ryan tossed the end of his scarf over his shoulder dramatically, possibly trying to look stylish but failing miserably, Shane thought.

“Is that a _ Buzzfeed Unsolved _ hat?” Shane asked, tagging behind Ryan out the door.

“Of course. I got to rep our brand, y’know.”

“To who? The neighbors?” Shane laughed, and Ryan threw him a dry look. 

“Well, maybe I’ll be able to put it on the snowman we make.”

“Orrrr, snowmen! We can make the two of us and make yours tiny and mine huge.”

“Yours can have a huge head and the largest carrot for the nose we can find.”

“Considering my dad has the same size nose as me I don’t think he’ll be too pleased.” Shane pointed back towards the house, a grin on his face.

“Apologies later, building snowmen now!” Ryan shouted out enthusiastically, running into the snow. It was thick enough where the edge of your boot would get caught sometimes, but otherwise it wasn’t too bad. Shane was able to make long strides through the snow, Ryan tripping to keep up with him.

“It was always a tradition for me and Scott to build these growing up,” Shane recalled, pausing for Ryan to catch up. The younger man was breathing heavily from the walk. “Scott stole my scarf one time to use on the snowman and I never found it again. It was my favorite scarf too!”

Ryan frowned slightly. “Jake forced me to get up in the middle of the night to watch for Santa Claus and obviously we were in for a disappointment when we found out it was our parents. Ruined Christmas for me that year.”

Shane laughed at that, intertwining his fingers with Ryan’s and lifting his hand up between them. “I hope this Christmas isn’t ruined for you. My family isn’t _ that _ exciting.”

Ryan’s mouth dropped open. “Of course not! You know I love to beat all of you guys at Monopoly then brag about it for the whole week.”

Shane gave him a look.

“Okaaaay, fine. I love your family, and I _ especially _ love you. Getting to spend extra time with you besides date nights and work is always great.”

“You still getting me that gift?” Shane joked. Ryan grinned smugly.

“It’s going to out beat every gift, ever. I am the gift king, and you all are peasants. Even if that sweater was sweet.”

“You’re giving me very high expectations,” Shane said, eyebrows raised.

“You’ll see. It’s going to be worth the wait.”

The two of them finally came to a stop in a small field close to Shane’s family's house. Their footprints trailed behind them like little dashes on a map, leading right to the X. They crouched down to start building their respective snowmen, Shane requesting Ryan’s help once the bottom layer of his snowman got too heavy to roll by himself. 

“You’re the one that works out all the time, Mr. Muscle Man,” Shane scoffed, breathing heavily.

“You’re the one that decided to make a giant snowman,” Ryan retorted.

Even as they bickered, they rolled the ball over near Ryan’s, then dusted off their mittens as they straightened up.

“I’m going to go grab some snow for the next layer, be right back,” Ryan said with a playful grin, sprinting off down the hill. Shane shrugged it off and started to pat down the snow on his layer when a large, wet snowball struck the back of his neck.

“Wha-” He was cut off by another snowball hitting his arm. Ryan’s laughter was slightly distant but felt ridiculously close at the same time. Maybe it was just that loud. Shane narrowed his eyes and leaned down to scoop up a handful of snow, shaping it quickly before the next round of snowballs came.

“You’re going down, Bergara!” Shane yelled over at Ryan. Shane skipped behind his half-built snowman and aimed at Ryan, throwing and missing.

“You have horrible aim!” Ryan yelled back, grinning like a maniac. Shane threw another one at him in response, hitting his target this time. Shane peeked out from behind the snow mound to see Ryan spitting out snow, his hat knocked off his head. His hair was tousled and sprinkled with snow, making him look strangely beautiful. Shane was only able to take in the sight for a moment before Ryan was scrambling to get back at him. Shane was prepared this time, though. He did a dramatic somersault out into the open, gripping a snowball in one hand. Ryan ran closer to him, tossing a snowball at his chest. He dropped the snowball, gripping his chest like he just got shot. Falling back into the snow, his gaze followed Ryan walking over to him, the playful look still sparkling in his eyes. Before Ryan could kneel down next to him, Shane tackled him, knocking both of them into the snow. Ryan let out a grunt, the air knocked out of him.

“I did say you were going down, didn’t I?” Shane smirked, his eyes traveling Ryan’s face. Their noses were almost touching.

“I-” Ryan paused to catch his breath. “I surrender.”

Ryan leaned up slightly to kiss Shane softly, stealing his breath away. His hand moved to cup Ryan’s jaw, his cheeks rosy from the cold and blushing so much. When they broke apart, their foreheads touched lightly together. Shane pressed a kiss to Ryan’s forehead, making him giggle. They sat like that for a moment, the clouds of their breath intermingling in the air and the heat of Ryan’s body pressed into Shane’s chest like a cozy blanket. Eventually, they pulled each other up and gathered up their abandoned hats and scarves. Ryan walked over to Shane and stood his toes to wipe his finger over his eyebrow.

“You had some snow on your face,” He said, grinning. Shane really wanted to kiss him again. They finished up the snowmen, then stood back to look at their handiwork. Shane wrapped his hand around Ryan’s waist, and Ryan leaned into his side.

“How long do you think Snow Ryan is going to last?” Shane asked quietly.

“So his name is Snow Ryan now?” Ryan laughed into his jacket.

“Snow Ryan and his partner in crime, Snow Shane!” 

“Do they fight crime together? Who’s the villain, Santa Claus?”

“Oh, totally. He probably committed some crime like… let’s see… tax fraud?”

Ryan wheezed with laughter, his head pressed to Shane’s chest. Shane could feel the vibrations through his coat, and he grinned down at the messy curls beneath him.

“You wanna go back in and get some cookies, Ry?” Shane asked once the man looked back up at him.

“Are they your mom’s? She makes the best cookies,” Ryan said as they strolled back towards the house. Even though his hair was tousled and his cheeks were flushed, Ryan still was one of the most beautiful people Shane had ever met. He was in love with this man. They took off their boots and jackets, Ryan physically shivering from the change in temperature. Shane walked over and cupped his face to warm it up. Ryan studied his face, his eyes a deep pool of golden brown. Shane leaned down and kissed his nose, making Ryan giggle. Even as the heat of the house warmed them up, nothing felt warmer than Ryan by Shane’s side.

*

That evening Shane sat curled under the covers, a cup of hot chocolate in one hand and a book in the other. The glow of the lamp made the room warm and cozy, perfect for a night of reading. The faint sound of the shower drifted throughout the home, making Shane feel sleepy. His mind was just starting to drift off the words on the page when Ryan entered the bedroom, wearing pajamas and pushing his fingers through his wet hair. In his hands was a small box, fancily wrapped with a little red bow neatly set on top. Ryan smiled softly, plopping down next to Shane on the bed, his legs crossed. Shane set his book down, tilting his head to the side a little.

“For me?” He asked, accepting the gift.

“Of course it’s for you, idiot,” Ryan said, his grin growing wider by the second.

Shane took off the bow, then carefully peeled back the wrapping paper, not wanting to rip it. If Ryan said this gift was that great, he had to handle it with care and precision. His hands shook a little as he took a small picture frame out of the box. He turned it over. The picture was of him and Ryan in London around three years ago, on the set of an _ Unsolved _ shoot. Shane glanced over at Ryan in the picture, mouth opened a little in mid-conversation. He knew that look, the one he had given Ryan for years before just coming clean on how he felt. Ryan gave a similar look back to him, a smile tugging at his lips. This was the trip where they had confessed to each other, in the quiet and dark of their hotel room. The rest of the trip was spent traveling around Europe together, but with the added bonus of hugs and kisses and the same late-night conversations. Everything had changed, yet at the same time, everything was still the same. Ryan gazed at him now, his eyes filled with love and admiration. Shane was at a loss for words, the frame still sitting in his hands.

“I-” Shane’s voice wavered.”Thank you.” Was all he managed to get out. Tears threatened to come out, and Ryan took his hand, holding his gaze. Shane sniffed, leaning over to accept the hug from Ryan. “This is probably the best gift anyone’s ever gotten for me.”

“There’s… one more gift. Maybe even more special than this one,” Ryan said quietly, looking down at their intertwined hands. Shane watched him get up and leave the room, leaving him to try and understand the range of emotions he was feeling. When Ryan came back, one of his arms was behind his back and he was smiling like crazy. He walked over to Shane’s side of the bed, then knelt down on one knee. Shane’s eyes widened in surprise, his hand fluttering over his mouth. Ryan clicked open the box, revealing a ring with a small diamond at the top.

“Shane Alexander Madej, will you marry me?”

“I- yes! Of course I will!” Shane got down on the floor and hugged Ryan, crying harder than before. They were happy tears. They hugged each other tightly, giddy laughter and crying mixed into one. Shane pulled back his head and kissed Ryan hard, making them fall over into a pile. Ryan wrapped his arms around Shane’s neck, kissing the tip of his nose.

“Merry Christmas, Shane. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

  
  



End file.
